Breaking Down
by ForcePassioneAndKibou
Summary: It's Daddy Dio's Good Ending (the "endings" thing are explained on my tumblr). In this particular one, Dio is successful in Cairo and over time as Giorno grows up he learns of his father being a vampire. He doesn't take it very well, especially after discovering a certain diary. I'm considering writing a different pov for this ending since there's one loose end (Ghost Jojo).


**Prelude**

The sun turned the sky a brilliant orange as it set. The car was quiet the driver being silent out of a respectful silence. The two passengers found their silence due to tension. Giorno's blue stare was aimed out the window unflinching as they passed into a stone tunnel. Cruising through the dimly lit darkness his eyes caught sight of a sword pommel lodged in the ceiling. He could tell his anticipation was making his sense of perception sharper. Mista who sat at his side grew tired of the silence. At least this kind of silence.

Giorno felt a hand on his shoulder and his attention turned towards Mista their eyes interlocking. They gave each other reassuring smiles and the tension became eased as they passed out of the tunnel into Wind Knight's Lot.

The village had grown considerably modern since the time of the 1800's but maintained its rural image. The castle that overlooked the town had fallen into visible ruin. The only intact part remained the wing where the legendary battle took place with the demon from a 100 years ago. (The legend of the demon's battle had been passed down among the townsfolk for just as long.) As such the reports from people brave enough to venture into the castle ruins say that the stones were nowhere near safe for a restoration effort to be made.

 **Act I**

After checking into their hotel, Giorno and Mista immediately set out for the castle their destination unbeknownst to the townspeople. As they navigated the mountainside and traversed the ruined structure night fell around them. They used flashlights to guide their way until reaching a certain corridor. It was one where the open doorways spilled fresh moonlight onto the mossy floor. Giorno flicked off the flashlight he carried his eyes narrowing. He could tell something was suspicious with this corridor's atmosphere. Mista glanced at his boss's face and recognized the look turning his light off as well. Dio was nearby.

Giorno stepped forwards beginning to peer into each of the doorways. He was unafraid of how loud his footsteps were as he knew his father would have already heard them. Mista was muffling his own out of pure habit the pistol already in hand (not that he knew how much help it would give).

The blond stopped in one doorway gazing into the room. Mista stopped and looked inside standing behind him. The room was small, whatever furnishings inside were few and corroded with time. The most eye-catching feature was the figure lying on his side appearing to bath in moonlight. He was normally clothed and turned to where he was facing away from them, and seemed to be staring out of a window. The window of which was missing its glass making it a gaping hole in the masonry. The chair upon which he lounged had its cloth filled with holes chewed by moths, yet he managed to appear perfectly content with its condition.

" _Dio._ " Giorno addressed him in a cold tone. When he read the diary he at first couldn't believe what it said. Then over time as Giorno read more and more he couldn't help but believe. And now the warmth he had held for his father, which had been growing cold throughout the years, was cold for good. There was no way he could forgive Dio for his deeds. Giorno had grown to have standards and he was unforgivable.

"You know of this castle, _sì_?" Dio upon hearing how icy his son's tone sounded felt at once inside his chest a bag of mixed feelings. The most prominent was sadness and a sense of loss- he had let it come to this. He had chosen the castle for their confrontation instead of Italy because Italy held too many memories. Here was a better place for confrontation; the castle had been meant for it. Dio had chosen this place to die if it so came to it. No, it would come to a death. There would be no fading into the folds and shadows of time. Giorno had a Joestar's spirit and a fate would not be allowed.

"I read about it," Giorno answered deliberately in English. Practicing it all those years he had managed to erase most of his accent though it lingered. It lingered like the memories in his mind going back to those private lessons with his… No, they weren't family anymore. Dio couldn't be thought of like that anymore.

The man himself felt more loss at hearing his son's answer. So, they would not be tainting Giorno's native tongue with this? Or was it a subtle jab at Dio's heritage? When had his son become this way?

"One hundred and twelve years ago I reigned here. Down there they call me a demon in their legend. At the time I believed myself more than that- I believed myself a god. I desired to rule until my reign was ended," Dio paused in his monologue sitting up from the chair and upon standing turning towards them. The moonlight effectively illuminated part of his face casting a tall shadow on the stone floor. He continued in a meditative tone,

"Time passed and with it came your birth, and now this. Giorno, my son, I wrote of "gravity" and "attaining heaven." Surely you can tell those ideas are no longer with me. There is but one reason for that, and I need not make it obvious."

Giorno knew what Dio meant. The reason his former ambitions ended was because of how time consuming it was taking care of him. It was not written in the diary but Giorno suspected raising a child had also another impact on the vampire's psyche. But he would not allow Dio to continue existing. It was far too dangerous a risk.

Mista, meanwhile, had been forced silent upon hearing Dio's voice and seeing his features in detail. The way he carried himself exuded overwhelming confidence, and his voice filled his ears like syrup. It proved to be more terrifying than the events with the final showdown with Diavolo. Diavolo himself was incomparable to Dio when it came to appearances. With Dio Mista could somehow discern how the passage of time had given him experience and knowledge. It far outweighed what he remembered of Diavolo's.

Mista understood he would be of no use to Giorno. At most he could provide morale support. The grip on his pistol grew slack and he pocketed it as Giorno gave his response unaware of Mista's feelings.

"What of the bloodline you severed to serve your own selfish needs? You killed a grandfather, grandson, and mother."

"You know the reason it came to that."

"A _pathetic_ reason! As a child I wouldn't have understood if you had attempted to explain it to me, but now I see what sacrifices have been made for my sake. You are selfish beyond compare. I will put an end to it with _Requiem_ ," Giorno pronounced the last word with force summoning his Stand beside himself. Dio could tell plainly that his son had inherited not only his charisma but the Joestar sense of justice. That came along with the spirit.

Dio ran his yellow eyes over the Stand which had changed in the appearance since the last time he had seen it. It had actual eyes and an arrowhead motif over itself. Then it would be right to assume the Stand's ability had probably changed along with. The changes served as further proof his son had changed his mindset. Dio blinked compelling the emotions inside his chest to harden as he thought of what to say next.

"You come to me seeking retribution for some crime? You think I design this," he gestured around himself, "for some sense of absolution? My son, I do this for the sake of _renunciation_!"

At the last word The World appeared looming behind him. Dio disappeared from sight reappearing behind Mista and continuing to walk down the corridor. Giorno immediately reacted turning on his heel and going to follow. That was until he saw the look on Mista's face. It appeared contorted into something fearful.

"Mista…you should stay here," Giorno switched to his native language grabbing the other's hand. Mista blinked his dark eyes visually appearing to relax his face a little. His breaths came in shudders as he squeezed Giorno's hand.

"No, God help me, I'll go with you. I can't…I can't help you, but I can at least go," he replied with a shakey grin. Giorno felt a smile grow on his face in response. Retracting his hand the blond started down the corridor followed by both Mista and Requiem who had remained silent.

 **Act II**

Following Dio down the corridor, the two emerged into an open chamber. Open because it had a crumbling balcony the stone railing missing from its edges. Dio stood at the edge facing out towards the woody landscape. The World hovered at his side looking back towards them. Its hands, clenched into fists, jerked every once in a while. The involuntary action made it look impatient.

Giorno stepped forwards until he was just outside of The World's attack range. Requiem was still at his side waiting for the appropriate time to attack.

"If you are being this cautious then you know my ability has grown with time," spoke Dio turning around to face them. On his face he wore a confident expression. "It did not stop at nine seconds, it grew until at this point I can stop time for… Well, for fairness I will allow a handicap on myself."

Giorno felt inside himself he had known this would happen. That his former father would not be able to bring himself to use his full power to win this fight. The vampire's sentimentality would be his downfall.

"I will only stop time for five seconds. As for who gets the first move…" Dio's sentence trailed off as his grin revealed fangs. Giorno recognized it as superficial. Living with Dio for practically his entire life he could see past every little attempt at lying.

Nothing more they said. The two merely stood there staring each other down, each waiting for the other to take a chance. Dio had an epoch of patience. In comparison, Giorno only had enough time as the night was long.

It was he who took the first step, charging forwards with his Stand's fist raised. When Giorno got close enough to deliver a blow Dio stopped time. He easily had himself and The World step out of the way, but he was wary of Requiem.

"To charge me so haphazardly… _GioGio_ , you are either desperate for an end or confident in your Stand's ability. Time resumes." Muttering the last words time resumed, and Requiem's punch hit empty air. Giorno whirled his eyes in the direction Dio had reappeared in noticing at the same time nothing had been done to him during the time stop. Dio was still… _still_ …

Letting forth a yell, Giorno had his Stand attack. While his mind might have been in turmoil about his father Requiem seemed the opposite. It became focused with much intent on how much this fight meant to its user. That was why when Dio went to say the words he found himself saying them, and then unsaying them. The second he should have been able to dodge was used instead for taking a few punches to the face. Dio staggered backwards in confusion.

Seeing his Stand had used its ability Giorno found himself able to stop his rage for the moment. He preyed on Dio's being stunned to step forwards and deliver more blows. The blond muttered under his breath the words he had often heard others say he uttered unconsciously- _useless, useless, useless_.

Dio driven backwards happened more due to shock than the intensity of the blows. Instinctively, he attempted to recover by trying to stop time again, but once again the action was reversed. He needed to escape to comprehend what was happening.

With his back against the ravine, Dio finally devised a way to escape. When Requiem delivered a heavy strike to his face he fell back looking as if to fall off the edge. It would have happened had Requiem not grabbed the collar of his shirt.

" _There is no escape this time!_ " Cried out Giorno Requiem lifting its fist. Dio counteracted, using his vampiric strength and speed to tear himself away and fall. Or, so it seemed he fell, for in reality he had gripped the cliff face and began climbing his way back over towards the ruined castle.

Giorno peered over the edge, but found it too dark to make out any figures. That and with his unnatural reflexes Dio could quickly climb his way back up. The blond looked over at his Stand with a troubled expression. Why had it not used its ability to keep Dio from forcing himself free?

" _Boss_! Look up!" It was Mista from inside the chamber. Giorno put aside the question and let his eyes scan the top of the ruins. At first he saw nothing, except for noticing the tower which had its top lopped off by Dio long ago.

Then, he noticed a figure shifting around in the shadows created by the moonlight. Using his Stand, Giorno climbed up to meet him. From below he was able to hear Mista running out to the balcony to watch what else would unfold.

Standing on a solid patch of roof Giorno found himself suddenly a few feet from where Dio had guessed his Stand's range. The vampire's arms were crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

Giorno realized his own hands had been clenched into fists ever since the fight began. They were so tight he had to relax them since his fingers by then had began to feel numb.

"Your Stand's ability used to involve only giving life to things. Now Gold Experience can…reverse living things. The actions they take against you. I have but one question until we continue," Dio paused as if gauging Giorno's reaction. He went on to say, "In your time away from home, what happened to cause this?"

Giorno was under no obligation to answer. He was on a time limit. But the blond found himself wanting to explain. To tell the man he once called father about all the things that had happened while living in downtown Naples. About him becoming leader of the mafia gang, wanting to reform it and the illegal activities happening in the town he adored. Giorno found himself in wanting to tell it all.

Instead he simply said,

"There was a man named Jean Pierre Polnareff who had a stone arrow. I was pierced by it." He watched Dio's eyes narrow at the mentioning of the name. Polnareff had been the only survivor of the Joestar group because Dio saw him as no threat. In the years passing, Polnareff had sought out the stone arrows he had come to find out by chance had the ability to give people Stands.

 **Act III**

"So I see," replied Dio. He remained where he stood feeling content to again let Giorno have the first move.

Giorno stood still, eyes partially lowered as he felt his chaotic emotions come roiling back again. He found his mouth moving before he could form a feasible thought to stop them,

" _Again_. You're not…taking this seriously," 'Seriously' wasn't exactly the word Giorno would have chosen, but his mouth moved on, "You're being too soft, _too kind_. To _me_ , to someone who is ready to _kill_ you for what you've done. How can you just… _stand_ there."

Giorno looked up piercing Dio with his blue gaze. The vampire's yellow one calmly gazed back.

Dio felt inside his chest a tug at his heartstrings. Living so long he had come to be able to read people; those eyes looked strong and inside they contained a hidden frailness. Seeing Giorno like that the vampire felt he could not let the fight's inaction go on for much longer.

Dio decided he would give his son a helping hand. Summoning The World to his side he started walking forwards. The vampire's footsteps sounded ominous on the crumbling remains of the castle roof.

Dio shifted his facial expression and the previous aura he had carried around himself changed. It became dark, oppressive, and seemed to clothe him in mystique. He needed to appear a threat for Giorno to react, and this was exactly how.

Giorno watched the change that overtook his former father in silence. He could feel his skin prick at the sudden difference in the atmosphere. Requiem drew closer to him on guard for any sudden movements Dio made.

There came one as the vampire disappeared from sight. Requiem reacted faster than Giorno when Dio struck from behind at an angle. His movements were reversed and counteracted. Giorno could see Dio now stood at his wayside bruises on the vampire's face healing.

Giorno let out an angry yell as again they clashed. This time The World's actions were not changed, and the two Stands exchanged a flurry of punches. Requiem, however, proved to be the weaker one and in the midst of its blocking a punch got through. Both user and Stand were sent careening backwards into the base of the tower lacking its upper portion.

The blond felt a familiar sensation of pain all over his body. The wounds weren't life threatening, only bruises. He forced himself to sit up as he could see Dio walking towards him. The ominous aura around the man was something Giorno had never encountered and it caused him to feel, for the first time in their confrontation, fear.

When Dio was within Requiem's range Giorno managed to stand. The vampire disappeared from sight, reappearing hunched over so that they were face to face. Yellow eyes locked with blue ones as Giorno dodged an inhuman fist that made a dent in the rock where he had formerly been.

As he backed off to one side he could hear Dio mutter,

"You wanted me to take this seriously. The question is, have you been taking this seriously?"

The vampire withdrew his fist from the wall looking over at his son. The expression on Dio's face was grim. There had been little instances during the fight he noticed were signs of Giorno's resolve not exactly being resolute. They were reflected most on his son's Stand.

Dio knew if Giorno was his son, if he truly wanted to end his dark legacy, then all of Giorno's hesitation would disappear in the formation of absolute resolve.

The blond stared back at his former father as he tried to comprehend what was pointed out. How could he _not_ be taking this to heart? He was standing here feeling the fires of hatred crackling inside his chest.

In his mind, Giorno went over what had already happened to see where Dio's point came from. He knew his father was prone to being cryptic, and there must be some source for what he said.

Seeing his son's face become concentrated Dio crossed his arms leaning on the tower. He could wait while Giorno played catch up. The insects down in the forest provided what Dio could think of as the right ambience. He sensed the end was coming soon.

It did not take long to figure out. Giorno had already taken note of his Stand's strange behavior. Was that it? Stands reflected their users; was he still not resolved in killing his former father? Coming all this way to find that out hurt. It caused Giorno to clench his fists again.

"Have you made up your mind? Giorno, can the matter be put to rest?" Dio's questions, spoken in Giorno's native tongue, caught his attention. He could see Dio leaning against the tower a tired look on his face despite the factor of eternal youth.

The blond stood up straighter a frown deeping on his face. The aches in his body were forgotten as Requiem appeared at his side. Giorno felt he could no longer waver. He could not allow himself to go back to Naples and leave this vampire alive. No matter how harmless now Dio must atone for the past. Giorno remained the only person capable of doing it.

Dio watched his son dart forwards and had The World meet him halfway. During the flurry of punches he could see the Stands were more evenly matched, although Requiem's strength stayed lower. At one point Requiem's ability was activated and Dio felt a solid punch land on his jaw disorientating him to where he stumbled away from the tower.

Giorno gave no pause in his attack. Dio fought through the dizziness and attempted to counter blow for blow, but found every other movement counteracted upon. The vampire continued to step backwards until the fight had been taken to the other side of the roof.

Dio could feel himself being worn down. His healing slowed and gradually throughout his body he could feel aches and pains blossoming. The dark aura he once held around himself had collapsed as soon as the tide of battle turned. Despite it all the vampire managed to grin again.

Seeing it, Giorno gave pause and had Requiem retreat to his side. Giorno's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Dio exhaled and breathed deeply standing straighter since he had the chance. The World hovered beside him its hands still twitching.

"A push in the right direction was all you ever needed, Giorno. You resemble Jonathan in that aspect. However," their eyes locked and remained so as Dio went on, "you will always be my son. To see myself in you, and watch you grow into it, has been such a pleasure."

The tone of voice Dio spoke with managed to freeze Giorno in place. This was due to how the sound triggered a memory- a memory with Buccellati. Giorno found the link between the two lie in how their words sounded like a last goodbye.

Dio's eyes were bright as the warm summer wind rustled his blond hair. The World disappeared from sight. His sense of time could not be wrong.

"Even if you cannot forgive me, remember to forgive yourself. It is my own selfish desire to not let you have the last blow. To end our time together this way after a night full of bitterness…"

Dio could tell by the change in his son's face he didn't have time to reminisce for much longer. He had to say one last thing before oblivion.

" _Ti amo, GioGio. Padre vi ama_."

As the sun broke over the horizon the vampire felt on his skin its warmth for the first time in over a hundred years. No other sensation could replicate the exact heat or gentle intensity. The intensity of which grew as his vampiric body crumbled away. Dio did not let the pain reflect onto his face. Giorno was already beginning to cry and one of them had to remain strong.

The last thing he could hear was his son calling for him.

" _Padre!_ "


End file.
